Guide vane arrangement for rocket missiles



July 8, 1958 NILs-ERIK ,GUsTAF KULLER l-:TAL 2,842,058

' vANE ARRANGEMENT FOR ROCKET MrssILEs INVENTQRS MLS-ERIK -GUSTAF KUL KARL-@HN T oRlLD THoRlLDs ascia-,05's

vANEAmorMENrEoRi-Roolrnr d MISSILESy v g v Nils-Erik' Gustai vrKiiller, *KarlslrogaijV and Karl-John `tion y g. t Y .Appiication Api-i127, 195s, serial No. 35,1,1i2 l v 6 claimt (C1. 1oz- 50) Thee present invention*relatestolguide vanes of rocket j missiles and 'mountingmeans for mounting the vanes on the trocket; moreispecically on a tubular- ,portion-ofthe rocket, generally the Yrocket motor.

l trajectory of a rocket missile,.the guide vanesjmustbe factoryor in a fully equipped machine shop,it is desirable to` transport and, store theV rockets without the vanesjand' storage-space. Y Also, the :'vanesl Ybeing comparatively fragi1e,-ar`e leasily bent or otherwise damaged.

vanes within the shortest possible period of time.

r` Arccordingly, one'. of the objectsof the present ,invention isu toprovide a novel andimproyed-vaneand mounting i' ngernent which permits a rapidandacuratemountlin'ggin situ of pairs of vanes in a'defnitegpositionrelative tofthe'- rocket kmotor andother pairs foffvanes e without requiring the use of tools-other than the most simple ones SW1? as @Screwdriver-"1"" *if* c 4ninother'object oftheinvention lis pr'ovide anoyel 1.1 mounting arrangement'byY means of whichthep'airs'of 'i Vvanes can be ixedand secured against displacement, both i in axial and circumferential directionrelative tothe rocket Ybody; u c '312133 if V-fStill notherobject of theffinventionisto provide a Vane and'mounting -arrangement whichpermits transpor- Atation and storage-of the vanes separately from the rockets j and stacking'Y of the vanes until used therebyreducing the l jspace requirements to a minimumfV of which on the rocket body protrude very little from'they r'same so that they do not appreciably increase Ythe of the rocket and are not likely to be damaged.l v

Otherand further objects, features and advantages of 60 the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth i in the'appen'ded claims forming part of the application.-

In the accompanying drawing a now preferred embodil l 'mente of the invention is shown by wayfof illustration andv noti-by way of limitation. Y v Inthefdrawing:

l 1:"ig.V 1 is an isometric View of a vane and mounting Fig. 2`is an isometric view similarto Fig. 1 showing I v4'Iliorild .Thorildssom Bofor's, Sweden, assignors togAkQ ftiebolaget Bofors, Bofors," Sweden,' a Swedish jcoi'pora- .25 to attach thev Vsame in situ. VAsthe'vanesfprotruderfrorrr; 'the otherwise generally smooth rocket body, theyincreaseY considerably the bulk of the shipment and the required I Y further object of the invention islto provide aA novel 55 nd improved mounting arrangement all the/components j Y' bulk) 'f the .vane andlmounting arrangement completely vattache to the rocket body; andy?.` Y

1 fFig.j-,3 is an isometric vieWv-ofsafpluralityofi vvanev units. f

@5 d Referring now jtfothe l'gllres in detail, Figs.v 1 .and 2 :.showfpjart :of the4 rear.v portion ofi-aj tubularrocketmotor. Y 1 and a nozzle 2 which ismounted Yon an"innerfwallV 1"- of the rocket motor. TwoV identical .guideqvaneunits are. provided for the rocket.'v 'Each of theseunits is 'formed rvr.10 ofra singlerpiece'of sheetmetaland .comprisesftwoY vauesrr f 3'and5 joinedby an intermediate portion 4.,. -"I'l1e,vanes.g

proper are plane andthe intermediate portion 4` of each unit is 'curved'approxiniately equalj tothe circumferential l curvature of the tube of the" rocket motonj Theradius 15 Vof the curvature'of the intermediate portions 4m'a`y also.;Y L u :be vslightlysmaller thanfthe -outer radiusj-,of tube 1g in of ,whichV thev vaneu units are which case the sheet metalv formed ispreferahly springy. f For the purpose of releasably attaching thfe vane units ing members vare shownas a pin 9V having arsmoothstem and an enlarged substantially diskf-shapedmhead andjta.. screw 10 having anferilarged head. f Pin-9 isglixedlyl v#isecured to .the rocket tube 1 by any suitablemeans,andV

screw -10 is threaded into a threaded hole provided inV 'l tube 1 for this purpose, 'Thelength of `the stem of pin 9; is preferablygjustsuliicient to provide space ,for the'thicl-` u 3 Aness of thefintermediate portiontwhenfiitted between An accurate centricemjounting'in 'situ of the vanes withy mounting means as hithertoknown causesconsiderablej diiculties, the more so as fully mechanically trained and-y equipped personnel is not always available and it is often desirable Orimperativeto complete" the mounting'v'of the,

` the tube wall 4and*the-head-ofgthepin. Similarlyythe' length of the threadedportiou ofrscrew '10 must/be such,-

l as to vpermit asafe grip of the. screw in :thetube threads;V

whenportion4 is iittedbetween the screwl head and'v the"j Wall lof'tube 1; While --a pin andra screware showngfitis i of course'also possible'to provide either two pins .or two screws. f v

40. videdjwith two .female locking elements lor'fslotsll and wide to Ypass therethroughfthe headsiof the pin and the Y Y tively of the locking members.

slot :12 feirtends from the rear edge of the vane unit.A As

canv bev clearly seen onFigs. Vl andZ, the ,axial "spacing1V 50 ofthe retaining members relative ,to the axialjspacing ,ofV Y.

l the slots is such that whenavane unit'isrplaced ina,V

yfposition infwhich the head of pin 9` is received by the" Wide portion of slot 11 the threaded portion ,of screw V10 i Y has already entered the narrow portion of slot 12.`

retaining lugs'13l and 14 protruding from the inner wall ofthe intermediate portion 4. The two lugs are spaced symmetrically relative to slot 12 and so situated that they will reach over the rear edge of rocketutube 1 when the d l' placing each 'unit Vwith its intermediate portion 4- u ponr.

5e the tube in a position in which the respective screw` 10Y faces the narrow portion of slot 12 Vand the forward por-v tion'of the unit restsupon'the headof pin 9. Thevane Aunit vis'then'slid rearwardly whereby the threaded portion' of the screw enters the'V narrow portion of slot 12,- andi until the head of pin 9 is in registry with the wide'portion rocket tube 1 ina definite position lrelative totl the'roolcet; 'Y liand to each other, two locking' membersare provided `for; eaChyane unit near the rear end; offtube `1; These 1ocl VThe intermediate portion/*4 of eachyane unit is pro- 12 coacting with the male lockingfmembers 9 and 107.1 `-Each ofthe slots is formed withga'y portion suiiicientlyA v `Each of the lvane units' is further providedY withtwo vane units are mounted on'the rocket tube. `The two lugsl of slot 11; The forward portion of the vane unit'can now be pressed against thewalllof tube 1 and the unit-;

Tightening of screw completes the mounting of a I vane unit.

When it is desired to detach a vane unit from the rocket the aforementioned operationsV are repeated in reversed order. b

Incase two pins' are employed as locking members, a vane unit is detached from the Vrocket body by slightly pressing the two varies 3 and 5 toward'each other in cir-V cumferential direction thereby flattening somewhat the intermediateV member 4. As Va reuslt, lugs 13` `and 14 are forced out of. their engagement with'the rear edge of rocket tube 1. Y Y Y The mounting means formed by locking members 9 and 10 and slots 11 and 12 assure that the vane 'units are always fastened to the rocket body inthe same position relative to the rocket body and to each other. It is also apparent that the -attachment or detachment of the vane units is extremely simple.

The provision of lugs 13 and 14 increases further theaccuracy of the centering of the vane units on therrocket body, and the lugs also prevent any tendency ofthe vane units to move. in axial direction.

The mounting means as as components protruding from the generally smooth body of the rocket merely the locking members 9 and 10 which areinsignicantly small in comparison with theoverall size of the rocket so that they do not appreciably increase the space required for shipping and storing the rocket bodies. The vane units have no protruding parts at all so that they can be conveniently stacked as is shown in Fig. 3. A stack according to Fig. 3 can obviously be shipped and stored separately from the rockets'proper. The stacking of the vane units -is not only convenient for shipping and storing purposes but also protects therather fragile vane units against damage for instanceby bending.

While the invention has been described in detail-with respect to a certain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be `made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventiorLand it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims. Y

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is: l 'Y 1. A guide vane arrangement for attachment to a tubular rocket missile comprising a pair of diverging vanes' and an intermediate member formed as a unit of sheet metal, said intermediate member being curved and having a concave surface facing away from said vanes, the inner radius of the curvature of said concave surface 'of said hereinbefore described,V involve intermediate member being slightly smaller than the outer radius vof the circumferential curvature of the rocket missile, said rocket having protruding therefrom male locking members and said intermediate member having enlarged female locking slots for receiving said locking members in one axial position of said intermediate member relative to the rocket and slot portions of reduced size to retain said locking membersin releasably locking engagement in another axial position of Said intermediate member relative to the rocket.

-2.V A guide vane arrangement according to claim 1, in combination with retaining members extending from said intermediate member on the inwardly curved side thereof symmetrically disposed at each side of the central longitudinal axis of said slots, the said retaining members being engageable with the rear edge of the rocket for centering and further retaining the vane unit on the rocket.

3. A guidebvane arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the said retaining members are in form of two lugs protruding from the sheet metalportionforming said intermediatemember, the said lugs beingadapted to over- Alie the respective rear edge of the rocket.

4. A guide vane arrangement' according to` claim 1, wherein the axial` spacing of said slots. is such that one Offsaid locking members enters the said slotportion of reduced size prior to the locking member coactingwith the other slot.

5. A guide vane arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said intermediate portion further comprises a slot opening toward the rear edge and is rst engaged upon applicaiton of the vane unit to the rocket.

6. A guide vane arrangement according to claim 5', wherein one of said male locking members is in form of Va headed screw threaded in the rocket and another male locking'member is in form of a headed locking member having avsmooth stem, the said screw being engageable with` the slot extending from said rear edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

